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Spring finally arrived after a long bout of fluctuating weather, represented here by a late, heavy snow in April. The storm was definitely beautiful, yet it presented other problems. As the large, pristine flakes of snow dropped and veiled the monastery in brilliant white, I thought and prayed about the newly installed package of bees, the garden that was half dug, and the enormous rhododendrons I had pruned, still in a preflower stage. Recalling Psalm 148, I trusted that everything would be all right: “frosts and snow” and “all flying and creeping things” praising the Lord together. On a hive check, I pressed my ear against the cold wood and could hear the buzzing of the community within the hive working together to maintain a comfortable temperature. In fact, they were probably warmer than I was as I made my way around the property with a snow shovel attempting to relieve the trees of their unwanted burden. Within a few days the weather was warmer and I returned to the garden to plant lettuce, corn, carrots, onions, herbs, and sunflowers. Some soil waits, prepared for the planting of the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, peas and company in June.....

Recently, the public discussion about marriage and about the propriety of its redefinition has once again become prominent. It is a discussion that is certain to continue for a long time yet. In light of this, the Assembly reaffirms the ancient and unchanging teaching of the Church and invites the faithful to read the important statement below, issued by the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) in 2003 and as relevant and binding today as when first published.

SCOBA Statement on Moral Crisis in Our Nation

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

As members of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), representing more than 5 million Orthodox Christians in the United States, Canada and Mexico, we are deeply concerned about recent developments regarding “same sex unions.”

The Orthodox Christian teaching on marriage and sexuality, firmly grounded in Holy Scripture, 2000 years of church tradition, and canon law, holds that marriage consists in the conjugal union of a man and a woman, and that authentic marriage is blessed by God as a sacrament of the Church. Neither Scripture nor Holy Tradition blesses or sanctions such a union between persons of the same sex.

Holy Scripture attests that God creates man and woman in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27-31), that those called to do so might enjoy a conjugal union that ideally leads to procreation. While not every marriage is blessed with the birth of children, every such union exists to create of a man and a woman a new reality of “one flesh.” This can only involve a relationship based on gender complementarity. “God made them male and female… So they are no longer two but one flesh” (Mark 10:6-8).

Photo by Vadim Arslanov[YONKERS, NY / SVOTS COMMUNICATIONS] St. Vladimir's Seminary Chorale delivered a stunning performance of sacred music in the heart of Manhattan on Monday evening, May 7th. With artistic execution and prayerful potency, the singers filled the warm and inviting space of St. Malachy's Chapel with a sound fitting for heaven—and needful on earth.

Through a multi-media presentation titled "ORIENT: Sacred Song and Image" the chorale combined word and image to create an evangelical message that proved to be both spiritually powerful and aesthetically absorbing. The performance employed a variety of iconographic projections and liturgical compositions from the Orthodox Christian tradition, seamlessly matched to create a joyous yet profound experience for concert goers, who listened in rapt attention to the 22-voice chorus and expressed their appreciation to the chorale with a long lasting and standing ovation.

Included in the audience was a special guest, His Grace The Rt. Rev. Nicholas, auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn and Resident Assistant to Metropolitan Philip of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese.

Matushka Robin Freeman, a staff member in the Advancement Office at the seminary who holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, created the concert format and conducted in its premiere at IU's Jacobs School of Music in 2010. She served as one of the concert conductors for the New York City premiere, along with Hierodeacon Herman, lecturer in Liturgical Music and Chapel Choir Director at the seminary.

"Come Receive the Light," the flagship podcast of the Orthodox Christian Network (OCN), is running a series in May about Orthodox parenting. Notes Father Chris Metropulos, OCN's Executive Director, "I don't know about you but I never took a course in parenting either in high school or college but I did learn a great deal from my parents and I must confess I am learning about it every day as I watch our six children and now two grandchildren grow and mature."

The scheduled topics are:

May 4

Speaker: Dr. Philip Mamalakis

Topic: Parenting with a Purpose

This week, we begin our monthly theme of parenting with Dr. Philip Mamalakis. What is the relationship between our parenting and our faith? Dr. Mamalakis reflects on the connection between the Divine Liturgy and our everyday parenting goals, like getting kids to bed on time.

May 11

Speaker: Dr. Nick Yphantides

Topic: Fueling our Kids to Excel

When does our journey of parenting begin? Hear what Orthodox doula Maria Armstrong thinks. Plus, how can we fuel our kids to succeed in life? Dr. Nick Yphantides talks about the connection of food to our children’s physical, mental and even emotional health.

May 18

Speaker: Dr. Allena Barbato

Topic: Self-Expression and Self-Esteem

We continue our month-long look at parenting with Dr. Allena Barbato, who will offer some guidance about children and self-expression. Where should we encourage our kids to express themselves, and where do we draw the line?

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) announced today that applications are being received for the position of North American Chaplain. The position is being increased to half-time, and will be held by an Orthodox clergyman who will also have the ability to continue to serve a parish or other ministry.

Fr. Michael Nasser, OCF’s current North American Chaplain, shared his thoughts on this development: “With OCF’s new leadership and with a fast-growing awareness among parents and clergy of how vital this ministry to our students really is, I couldn’t be happier that the next North American Chaplain will have more time to be dedicated to this great work.”

OCF is currently restructuring to better guide and support the hundreds of OCF chapters spread out across North America. The new North American Chaplain will work across all Orthodox jurisdictions, providing resources and assistance to the chaplains who work directly with the students on campus.

In his homily on Thomas Sunday, Fr. Andrew discussed the difference between the story of Christ and our own story in the world, and on Myrrh-bearers Sunday, Fr. Andrew spoke about our motivation for acts of piety.

Pastor of St. Paul Orthodox Christian Church of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, Fr. Andrew is also the author of the Conciliar Press book, Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy. He describes his perspective on his blog, Roads from Emmaus, this way: "Much of what you might read here will focus on Christian localist themes of place, incarnation, limits, and real communion. I love my home, and I’m firmly of the belief that loving one’s home is a critical element in Christian life and particularly for evangelism."

St. George Family/Youth CenterSt. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church of Akron, Ohio, celebrated 95 years and dedicated its new Family/Youth Center the weekend of April 27. Presiding over the busy schedule of events, His Eminence Metropolitan Philip joined parishioners at the hafli on April 27, at a banquet on April 28, and also celebrated liturgy with the community on Sunday, April 29.

Reporter Kathleen Folkerth of Akron Leader Publications, noted that "Mimi Hicks, president of the Ladies Society, gave Mahashie (Fr. Louis Mahshie) a $25,000 check for the Family/Youth Center building fund, bringing its total donation to $100,000." The Center was built to accomodate the growing and active youth group of St. George, recently named the Teen Club of the Year during a recent youth convention.

Join us for an exquisite evening of liturgical music sung in the traditional styles of Orthodox Christian churches worldwide. In a multi-media program that interweaves luminous icons, sacred texts, and a rich a cappella sound, the St. Vladimir's Seminary Chorale will perform ORIENT: Sacred Song and Image at the famous St. Malachy's,"The Actors' Chapel," in the heart of Manhattan, at 239 West 49th Street, New York City. This stirring concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The concert program will include pieces from the broader Orthodox tradition sung in their original languages— Greek, Georgian, Estonian, Slavonic—as well as choral music by Orthodox composers written for the concert hall. Two visual projections—one of images of Orthodox icons and the other of translations of musical texts—will run simultaneously as the chorale sings. Icons, music, and text will expound one another, just as they do within the Orthodox liturgy. The concert will combine the best elements of a professional choral performance with the depth and authenticity of the Orthodox liturgical experience, resulting in a truly beautiful multimedia artistic performance, and a full, authentic vision of the Orthodox Christian faith.

Archbishop JovanOn February 21, Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, sent a letter to the US Secretary of State, Ms. Hillary Clinton, requesting the immediate release of Jovan, the Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje, who has been imprisoned under false accusations by the schismatic organization in F.Y.R. Macedonia.

On December 12, 2011, while attempting to enter the F.Y.R. Macedonia, Archbishop Jovan was arrested on the border in Medzitlija and taken to the “Idrizovo” prison near Skopje. He was sentenced on false charges in 2010 to a prison term, but since the court process was performed in his absence, he has a legal right to request a repeat of the procedure and to be granted a new court hearing in which he can defend himself. He was also arrested on November 16, 2010, at the Bulgarian border, at the request of the Macedonian bureau of Interpol, with regard to this same court sentence, but the court in Bulgaria released him, holding that the court verdict of F.Y.R. Macedonia was not on account of any guilt in accordance with criminal law, but rather on account of persecution for religious reasons, a persecution which the Archbishop has undergone for nine years.

Archbishop Demetrios of America, addressing the Secretary of State “in the name of the 65 Hierarchs who are part of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America,” mentioned the unfortunate situation of the Archbishop of Ohrid and added that “his arrest has a history of several years, from the time the schismatic church of FYROM (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) started persecuting Jovan, the canonical Archbishop of Ohrid.” Moreover, he pointed out that “the church of the FYROM is not recognized by any of the canonical Orthodox Churches throughout the world.”

Compassion at Work Award Recipients(Baltimore, MD) — International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), the global humanitarian relief organization of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, has named five prominent Orthodox community leaders as the recipients of its Compassion at Work Award: Antiochians Charles R. Ajalat and Dr. George J. Farha, as well as Andrew A. Athens, George M. Marcus, and John G. Rangos, Sr.

The five visionary men were selected to receive the inaugural award for their extraordinary philanthropic contributions to the organization's mission and its continued success over the past 20 years.

In announcing the recipients, IOCC Board Chairman, Michael S. "Mickey" Homsey said, "As International Orthodox Christian Charities celebrates 20 years of delivering humanitarian service to those in need around the world, it owes a debt of gratitude to these men whose faith and philanthropic spirit served as the catalyst in developing IOCC as the humanitarian arm of the Orthodox Church in North America and as a unified ministry for the Orthodox community to express its faith in compassionate and tangible ways."

Three of the five award recipients, John G. Rangos, Sr., Andrew A. Athens and Charles R. Ajalat, founded the organization in 1992 and all five men, including George M. Marcus and Dr. George J. Farha, have served on the IOCC Board of Directors and are honorary IOCC board members.

The honorees will be recognized at the IOCC 20th Anniversary Gala on May 8, 2012, in Washington, DC. Mike Emanuel, Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel, will serve as emcee for the gala, and Chris Hillman, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and founding member of the Byrds, will perform during the gala dinner.

On Bright Tuesday, April 17, 2012, Bishop John of the Diocese of Worcester and New England and a number of Antiochian clergy with their wives and children gathered at the Greek Metropolis of Boston at the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodius to enjoy a meal with him and his clergy. This annual Bright Tuesday meal had been a tradition of the Greek Metropolis for many years, but the invitation to the Antiochian Bishop and clergy was unprecedented and warmly received. Some attendees expressed the hope that this gathering would presage many more opportunities for Orthodox Christians in Boston, clergy and laity, of different jurisdictions to come together for fellowship.

Each year SOYO elects new officers for each of its diocesan SOYO Youth Movements. Those wishing to run for Diocesan SOYO office must be present at their Diocesan Parish Life Conference Teen SOYO Meeting, as well as have properly filled out and have signed by themselves, their pastor and one of their parents the SOYO Nomination form. Teens do not need to be nominated by others, they simply need to make known their intent to run and have properly filled out a SOYO Nomination form and to have turned in their nomination form to the Diocesan Spiritual Advisor prior to the Teen SOYO meeting at the Parish Life Conference.

Teens wishing to run for Office are encouraged to do so and are encouraged to make their intention known to the Diocesan Spiritual Advisor as early as possible. Please see the list of Spiritual Advisors below. Please carefully read the nomination form to see that you are willing to meet the requirements for running for office.

More than 150 dental procedures were performed this month as part of a new FOCUS dental care initiative in Orange County, California. Working in partnership with the University of Southern California (USC) School of Dentistry and AYUDA, an international organization that provides dental care to underserved communities, FOCUS volunteers provided vital dental care, free of charge, to patients of all ages.

The services included teeth cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, and extractions. Each patient also received instruction on how to practice and maintain proper oral hygiene.

“This partnership with AYUDA and USC was a great success,” said FOCUS Center Director Jacob Lee. “We’re really pleased to provide this service to families who live in motels. Good dental health is absolutely critical to overall well being.”

William George Kafoure was a faithful member of St. George Church [in Indianapolis, IN]. Over the years Bill served on the Parish Council, the Building Committee, and he was our Church Historian. Bill was a founding member of the SOYO youth movement and was President of Midwest SOYO from 1955-56. He was also a member of the Archdiocese Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch.

Bill was the inspiration behind our 85th Anniversary musical, entitled "He's been there the whole time!," which was dedicated to his memory this past weekend.

Bill is survived by his children, William Paul (Coleen) Kafoure, Steven George (Dory) Kafoure, and Leslie Ann (Thomas) Kafoure Baas, grandchildren, Kelly C. Baas, William S. Kafoure, Lynne Herendeen, and Brett Herendeen and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in departure from this life by his wife, Frances H. Risk Kafoure, siblings Richard, Michael and Isabel Kafoure.

A 60 Minutes episode on the shrinking population of Christians in the Holy Land aired on Sunday, April 22. Reporter Bob Simon reported on the slow exodus from the Holy Land of the Christian population, and examined the causes underlying the flight. The report is now available for viewing on the 60 Minutes website.

Dr. Maria Khoury and other prominent Christians in the Holy Land were involved with CBS for nearly a year in creating the report. An Orthodox author and resident of Israel, Dr. Khoury has been a tireless champion for human rights for Christians in the Middle East. She divides her time between her homes in Boston and the village of Taybeh, traveling throughout the world to present the public with information about the dwindling Christian community in Palestine. On 60 Minutes Overtime, Dr. Khoury explains that Taybeh is the last Christian village in the Holy Land.

St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary has announced that the 2012 commencement address will be offered by His Grace Bishop John (Abdalah). Bishop John is the Auxiliary Bishop for Worcester and New England and the editor of the WORD magazine.

The Seminary's Commencement always takes place on the last weekend in May, coinciding with the annual Memorial Day Liturgy and festivities hosted by the Seminary. This year the ceremony falls on May 26.

Bishop John served as a priest of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America for 33 years and was Dean of St. George Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 16 of those years. The Seminary is also located in Pennsylvania, in the community of South Canaan.

Your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Subdeacon George Shakour of St. Michael in Beaumont, TX, who reposed on Pascha. Condolences may be sent to his wife Sherridan c/o her parish priest Fr. Michael Pavez at FATHERMICHAEL@prodigy.net. Please join me in praying a rope for the repose of Subdeacon George's soul, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, grant rest to the soul of Thy departed servant." May he be granted Paradise, and may you be granted long life.

George Jacob Shakour, 69, of Beaumont, went to be with his Lord unexpectedly on April 15, 2012, at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital. Mr. Shakour was born on November 8, 1942, in Beaumont, to George and Mildred Shakour. He attended Beaumont High, and continued his education at Lamar University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Government. He enlisted in the Army after college, and bravely served his country in the Vietnam War. During his service, he received an Orthodox cross from a priest in Italy which he never took off for the rest of his life. George was a devoted member of St. Michael’s Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church and served as a sub-Deacon there. He also dedicated many hours to the small church of St. John the Divine in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral, WichitaOn April 16, His Grace Bishop Basil (Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America) gave thanks to God for His help during the recent period of tornadoes in the nation's Heartland.

"GLORY TO GOD! None of our parishioners sustained any injuries and none of our church temples sustained any damage during the violent tornadoes (estimated to be numbered at 130+) which ripped through the Heartland this past weekend, claiming six lives in Woodward, OK. The only noticeable result was a one hour delay in the start of Paschal services at Wichita's St. George Cathedral and St. Mary Church. Thank you for your prayers and the many inquiries of concern."

On March 3, 2012, many young people from the Diocese Of Worcester and New England (self-proclaimed DOWNE) gathered for a Youth Day celebration at His Grace Bishop John's house. Those who attended sat with His Grace to learn the purpose of Orthodoxy, including the three points that make us Orthodox Christians: We partake of the same Communion, we all believe the words of the Nicene Creed, and we all submit to a bishop.

His Grace also informed the youth that his job is to keep his diocese united and to keep it Orthodox. By submitting to him, the members of the Diocese of Worcester are united to one another, and the Diocese is connected to others in the Archdiocese through Metropolitan Philip, to whom all Antiochian Orthodox bishops in America have submitted. His Grace then emphasized the importance of reaching out to American Orthodox Churches outside the Antiochian Archdiocese. The Greeks, the Russians, and all others hold the exact same beliefs as we do. We can commune in their churches as they can in ours. In today's society, it is important that we remain united with our sister churches and do not allow cultural differences to hold us back from mingling. If we visit other churches and socialize outside the Antiochian Archdiocese, we will strengthen the bonds between the Orthodox Churches in America and throughout the world.

Young adults from St. George in Akron reunite with Sayedna Anthony, their former youth directorBy Khalil G. Samara, Diocese of Toledo FSJD President

After the Fall Fellowship of St. John Gathering in 2011, His Grace Bishop Anthony (then Bishop-elect) encouraged the young adults that were at the Fall Gathering to continue to meet on a regular basis. With no spring meeting scheduled, we decided to plan a Spring Retreat to focus on spiritual renewal and fellowship with other young adults from our Diocese. The weekend of March 30-April 1, 2012 was chosen, and the Basilica of St. Mary in Livonia, MI, graciously offered their facility as the host location. Over 60 young adults from 13 parishes in our Diocese came together for our Young Adult Spring Retreat, sponsored by the Diocese of Toledo Fellowship of St. John the Divine.

The weekend began as we prayed the Akathist service with the parishioners of St. Mary’s. Following the service, His Grace Bishop Anthony began the retreat by introducing the topic “Following in the Footsteps of Christ.” The evening concluded with a Coffee House social in the church's Activity Center so we could relax from the long drive and to get to know each other. We thank Tom and Lillian Saba for planning and organizing the evening social.

On March 29, 2012, the Canadian Conference of Orthodox Bishops had a meeting at the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto. On the agenda were the reports of the dialogue with the Catholic Bishops, pastoral, canonical and liturgical issues, a Directory of all Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs, jurisdictions and parishes. It was discussed the update on the petition addressed to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to approve the constituency of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of Canada. There were also discussed plans for joint-ministry and fraternal cooperation in the future. An important topic was the discussion of the situation of persecuted Christians in the World and the position of the Orthodox in Canada.

The participants at the meeting were: His Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios and His Grace Bishop Christoforos of the Greek Metropolis of Toronto, His Grace Bishop Alexander of the Antiochian Archdiocese, His Grace Bishop Job of the Moscow Patriarchate Representation in Canada, His Grace Bishop Georgij of the Serbian Diocese of Canada, His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae and His Grace Vicar Bishop Ioan Casian of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas, His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij, His Grace Bishop Hilarion and His Grace Bishop Andrej of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Grace Bishop Ilias of the Albanian Diocese, His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and His Grace Vicar Bishop Irinee of the OCA.

Join us for an exquisite evening of liturgical music sung in the traditional styles of Orthodox Christian churches worldwide. In a multi-media program that interweaves luminous icons, sacred texts, and a rich a cappella sound, the St. Vladimir's Seminary Chorale will perform "ORIENT: Sacred Song and Image" at the famous St. Malachy's,"The Actors' Chapel," in the heart of Manhattan, at 239 West 49th Street, New York City. This stirring concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The concert program will include pieces from the broader Orthodox tradition sung in their original languages— Greek, Georgian, Estonian, Slavonic—as well as choral music by Orthodox composers written for the concert hall. Two visual projections—one of images of Orthodox icons and the other of translations of musical texts—will run simultaneously as the chorale sings. Icons, music, and text will expound one another, just as they do within the Orthodox liturgy. The concert will combine the best elements of a professional choral performance with the depth and authenticity of the Orthodox liturgical experience, resulting in a truly beautiful multimedia artistic performance, and a full, authentic vision of the Orthodox Christian faith.

The chorale will be directed by Hierodeacon Herman, Lecturer in Liturgical Music and Chapel Choir Director at the seminary, and Matushka Robin Freeman, who created the concert format and conducted in its premiere at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in 2010.